New York can breathe, the alleged 36th Street shooter is behind bars.

Frank James, the man suspected of having fired Tuesday in a subway train in the morning at rush hour, injuring 30 including 10 by gunshot according to justice, was remanded in custody Thursday, accused of having " spread terror throughout the city.

Arrested without resistance on Wednesday, in the middle of the street in Manhattan, the man is well known to the police.

His criminal record includes 12 entries for various offences.

"Yesterday, Mr. James saw his photo in the news, he called the police to help, he said where he was", explains his lawyer, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, warning against any "hasty judgment".

The police had traced Frank James, 62, thanks in particular to the key to a van he rented, discovered at the crime scene.

The man had a YouTube page, called "prophetoftruth88" (prophet of truth) where he was seen launching into long tirades, sometimes rambling and vehement, on racial issues and insecurity in New York.

A “terrorist attack” compared to September 11

In silence, sometimes taking notes between his two lawyers, Franck James listened to the charges against him, in particular that of "terrorist attack" which puts him at risk of life in prison.

Judge Roanne Mann ordered that he be remanded in custody.

He "opened fire on passengers on a crowded subway train, disrupting their morning commute in a way this city has not seen in over 20 years," prosecutor Sara Winik said, a reference to the deadly attacks by the September 11, 2001 which permanently traumatized New York.

The suspect was wearing a gas mask and set off two smoke devices, filling the train with smoke before firing.

The prosecution has revised the balance sheet upwards, bringing it to 30 wounded, including 10 by bullets, against 23 at the start.

“His attack was premeditated, it was carefully planned and it sowed terror among the victims and throughout the city,” added the prosecutor.

If this bloody attack, committed in a busy station in southern Brooklyn, "36th Street", did not cause any deaths, it caused great emotion in the megalopolis of nearly 9 million inhabitants, already affected by an increase in crime and shootings since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, New York police documented no less than 14 separate shootings and shootings, including in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and four homicides.

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